Using Sorting Laundry As A RDI Interaction In Autism

Everyone always thinks that therapy has to involve these super expensive items with high priced therapists traipsing through your house at all hours of the day. This could not be further from the truth. Here in autismland, we use everyday chores to help us achieve some of our RDI Objectives.

Me: “Wow! I have a lot of laundry to sort!”

Logan: “Wait a minute”

Me: (a few minutes later) “Sure wish I could get through sorting this laundry!”

Logan:” Let me help! I hand it to you and you pick the pile. ok?”

Me:” Sure!”

Sorting laundry commences!

We establish a rhythm. He hands it to me and I put it in the pile.

I hold my hand up high. He doesn’t immediately get it so I wave my hand up high. He smiles at me and throws it to the high hand. We do that a couple of times.

I go back to the established rhythm.

After several items, I start pointing to the pile that he needs to put it in. He gets that challenge immediately.

Back to the established rhythm.

I glance at the pile that it needs to go in. A little scaffolding needed so I nod my head in the direction of the pile that I am looking at. Success!

Back to the established rhythm..

I get really fast and he picks up speed after noticing immediately that I sped up.

I slow way down. Way down. He slows down but keeps asking me if my leg is hurt. Why am I going slow like an old person? (Gotta love his analogy). I smile and keep going slow.

Back to the established rhythm.

Finally, we are done. High Fives and a big thanks!

RDI Objective: Child engages in uncertain situations while recognizing that they face no performance demands or judgments and that parents are available on an “as-needed” basis. You simply do a task with another person just to be able to hang out with that person.

Pros:

It was a successful interaction.

He felt competent and achieved most of the challenges.

He took to the redirection well and stayed with me through all of it. That is an amazing feat right there!

hey- where’s the video;) oh wait I just read your comment on that LOL. guess someone else ahd the same thought. My laundry is just off my kitchen- it stinks for keeping things nice and tidy…as if that were possible anyway

About Us

Call me Penny, wife to Michael as well as mom to Logan who has autism and Madison who is pursuing a dance career.
Based on my own personal and often difficult experiences with autism, I hope to educate families of children with autism on how to navigate their world from pre diagnosis to adulthood.